After successive tournament cycles condensed to 18 months by the Covid pandemic and a winter World Cup, England now face up to a more familiar two-year wait for another crack at ending their trophy drought.
Following Euro 2024 Final agony against Spain in Berlin on Sunday, here are the areas where, whoever the new manager is, they must evolve to take the final step in 2026.
Fix the system confusion
As when leaving Qatar at the end of 2022, this does not appear to be a squad in need of drastic overhaul in terms of personnel.
Having called up so many novices for Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate established a wider pool than at any point in his tenure, and many of those shelved at the last minute on form grounds, such as Jack Grealish, James Maddison and Marcus Rashford, will be hopeful of getting back in.
Lessons must be learned from this cycle, though. Contingency planning must be better, so that England do not repeat the errors of having arrived in Germany with no feasible alternative to Luke Shaw or still bemoaning the loss of Kalvin Phillips, despite the potential for trouble on both fronts being clear a long way out.
This summer, it felt Southgate began the tournament with a clear idea of his best 11 players, but without having had chance to look at how they shaped up as a team. There should be more emphasis sooner on crafting roles within a system that works, so there is no similar muddle next time around.
For his successor, however, evolution will be made trickier by England’s relegation to the second tier of the Nations League, which will limit the chances to experiment against top opposition over the coming year.
Right-back refresh
England’s first-choice defence hardly changed during Southgate’s tenure, with Shaw the only addition to the Russia 2018 back line until Marc Guehi replaced the injured Harry Maguire this summer.
In Germany, for the first time in an England shirt, however, Kyle Walker began to look like a declining force and was run ragged by Nico Williams in Sunday’s final. Walker is closing on 100 caps and sounds unlikely to retire, but will be 36 by the next World Cup.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is the obvious successor, his midfield secondment having failed this summer, but the change of manager could well see Arsenal’s Ben White return to the fold, which would be a huge boost.
Elsewhere, England suddenly looked well stocked at centre-back, with John Stones as good as ever, Guehi and Ezri Konsa impressing, and youngsters Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah waiting in reserve.
Clearly, a left-footed deputy to Shaw must be found.
Address problem in possession
Sunday’s defeat followed an all-too-familiar pattern, as Southgate’s side struggled to get on the ball against Spain’s pass-masters.
For England, these big disappointments so often come down to control.
Southgate was conscious that English football is still not creating enough footballers who love to get on the ball, but said he hopes Kobbie Mainoo, 19, and Adam Wharton, 20, can develop into tempo-setting midfielders in the mould of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Obviously, having a player like that would be a game-changer. Mainoo enjoyed a breakthrough tournament and looks set for a big future with England, but Wharton, who is more of a natural deep-lying playmaker than the Manchester United teenager, did not play a single minute in Germany.
Blooding Wharton, Mainoo and any other potential ball-playing midfielders — Tottenham’s new signing Archie Gray, perhaps — feels essential ahead of the World Cup.
Phillips, who is still just 28, could come back into the national fold if he can find form away from Manchester City.
Find a place for Cole Palmer
Do not write off Harry Kane. He was plainly not fit in Germany, but it is wildly premature to suggest the 30-year-old is in permanent decline.
England’s record goalscorer and captain will surely still be leading the line in two years’ time, although Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney are now compelling alternatives.
The bigger concern for Southgate’s successor, is how to get the best from England’s array of talented No10s.
In trying to accommodate both Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, Southgate arguably got the best from neither at the Euros, and there is increasingly a case to find room for Cole Palmer at any cost.
The Chelsea playmaker made an immediate impact from the bench in the semi-final and final, when his brilliant equaliser was somewhat forgotten in the aftermath of another defeat.
There is every chance that Bellingham, Foden, Palmer and Bukayo Saka are still England’s best attacking midfielders in 2026, but finding the right balance between them remains a challenge.
Follow Spain’s model and be braver
It will be no consolation to England, but there is a case that Spain’s win was a positive outcome for the game, as Luis de la Fuente’s side conquered a succession of leading rivals (Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and then England) playing expressive, front-foot football.
England and France, meanwhile, fell short again with a more conservative approach.
There is a lesson here for England and, if they are to get over the line in future, they need to take what they can from Spain’s blueprint.
Southgate’s tournament-ball was effective at navigating through the knockouts, but fell short against the top teams.
It is time to be more expansive by allowing England’s leading players to get on the ball, express themselves and take more risks
